scholarly journals Low burrow occupancy and breeding success of burrowing petrels at Gough Island: a consequence of mouse predation

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD J. CUTHBERT ◽  
HENK LOUW ◽  
JEROEN LURLING ◽  
GRAHAM PARKER ◽  
KALINKA REXER-HUBER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Predatory Behaviour ◽  
Breeding Parameters ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Detrimental Impact ◽  
Winter Breeding

SummaryThe predatory behaviour of introduced house mice Mus musculus at Gough Island is known to impact on albatross and petrels, resulting in the Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenena and Atlantic Petrel Pterodroma incerta being listed as “Critically Endangered” and “Endangered”, respectively. Although predation has been documented for two burrowing petrels and one albatross species, the impact of house mice on other burrowing petrels on Gough Island is unknown. We report burrow occupancy and breeding success of Atlantic Petrels, Soft-plumaged Petrels Pterodroma mollis, Broad-billed Prions Pachyptila vittata, Grey Petrels Procellaria cinerea and Great Shearwaters Puffinus gravis. With the exception of the Great Shearwater, breeding parameters of burrowing petrels at Gough Island were very poor, with low burrow occupancy (range 4–42%) and low breeding success (0–44%) for four species, and high rates of chick mortality in Atlantic Petrel burrows. Breeding success decreased with mass, suggesting that smaller species are hardest hit, and winter-breeding species had lower breeding success than summer breeders. The results indicate that introduced house mice are having a detrimental impact on a wider range of species than previously recorded and are likely to be causing population declines among most burrowing petrels on Gough Island. The very low values of burrow occupancy recorded for Soft-plumaged Petrels and Broad-billed Prions and greatly reduced abundance of burrowing petrels in comparison to earlier decades indicate that Gough Island’s formerly abundant petrel populations are greatly threatened by the impact of predatory house mice which can only be halted by the eradication of this species from the island.

Observations of mice predation on dark-mantled sooty albatross and Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross chicks at Gough Island

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 763-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.J. Cuthbert ◽  
H. Louw ◽  
G. Parker ◽  
K. Rexer-Huber ◽  
P. Visser
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Marion Island ◽  
Predatory Behaviour ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Breeding Seasons ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ongoing Monitoring

AbstractIntroduced house miceMus musculusL. have been discovered to be major predators of chicks of the Tristan albatrossDiomedea dabbenenaL. and Atlantic petrelPterodroma incertaSchlegel and to also predate great shearwaterPuffinus gravisO'Reilly chicks at Gough Island, and similar predatory behaviour has been reported for house mice on Marion Island. Observations on Gough Island over three breeding seasons of nesting Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrossesThalassarche chlororhynchosGmelin and dark-mantled sooty albatrossPhoebetria fuscaHilsenberg indicate that house mice are also preying on these two species: the first records of mice preying upon summer-breeding albatross species on Gough Island. Predation on these two albatross species appears to be relatively rare (∼2% for the Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrosses) and ongoing monitoring is required to ascertain if the impact of mice is increasing. Conservation actions to eradicate mice from Gough Island will be of benefit to these species and other species that are being impacted by this invasive species.

scholarly journals Mouse eradication is required to prevent local extinction of an endangered seabird on an oceanic island

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher W. Jones ◽  
Michelle M. Risi ◽  
Alexis M. Osborne ◽  
Peter G. Ryan ◽  
Steffen Oppel
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Invasive Mammals ◽  
Population Trajectory ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPetrels (Procellariidae) are a highly diverse family of seabirds, many of which are globally threatened due to the impact of invasive species on breeding populations. While predation by invasive cats and rats has led to the extinction of petrel populations, the impact of invasive house mice Mus musculus is slower and less well documented. However, mice impact small burrow-nesting species such as MacGillivray’s prion Pachyptila macgillivrayi, a species classified as endangered because it has been extirpated on islands in the Indian Ocean by introduced rodents. We use historic abundance data and demographic monitoring data from 2014 to 2020 to predict the population trajectory of MacGillivray’s prion on Gough Island with and without a mouse eradication using a stochastic integrated population model. Given very low annual breeding success (0.01 fledglings per breeding pair in ‘poor’ years (83%) or 0.38 in ‘good’ years (17%), n = 320 nests over 6 years) mainly due to mouse predation, our model predicted that the population collapsed from ~3.5 million pairs in 1956 to an estimated 175,000 pairs in 2020 despite reasonably high adult survival probability (ϕ = 0.901). Based on these parameters, the population is predicted to decline at a rate of 9% per year over the next 36 years without a mouse eradication, with a 31% probability that by 2057 the MacGillivray’ prion population would become extremely vulnerable to extinction. Our models predict population stability (λ = 1.01) and a lower extinction risk (<10%) if mouse eradication on Gough Island restores annual breeding success to 0.519, which is in line with that of closely-related species on predator-free islands. This study demonstrates the devastating impacts that introduced house mice can have on small burrowing petrels and highlights the urgency to eradicate invasive mammals from oceanic islands.

scholarly journals Can predation by invasive mice drive seabird extinctions?

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross M Wanless ◽  
Andrea Angel ◽  
Richard J Cuthbert ◽  
Geoff M Hilton ◽  
Peter G Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
House Mouse ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
Population Models ◽  
South Atlantic Ocean ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Seabird Species ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Invasive Mammals

The house mouse, Mus musculus , is one of the most widespread and well-studied invasive mammals on islands. It was thought to pose little risk to seabirds, but video evidence from Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean shows house mice killing chicks of two IUCN-listed seabird species. Mouse-induced mortality in 2004 was a significant cause of extremely poor breeding success for Tristan albatrosses, Diomedea dabbenena (0.27 fledglings/pair), and Atlantic petrels, Pterodroma incerta (0.33). Population models show that these levels of predation are sufficient to cause population decreases. Unlike many other islands, mice are the only introduced mammals on Gough Island. However, restoration programmes to eradicate rats and other introduced mammals from islands are increasing the number of islands where mice are the sole alien mammals. If these mouse populations are released from the ecological effects of predators and competitors, they too may become predatory on seabird chicks.

scholarly journals Population trends and breeding success of albatrosses and giant petrels at Gough Island in the face of at-sea and on-land threats

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Cuthbert ◽  
John Cooper ◽  
Peter G. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Population Monitoring ◽  
Accurate Estimate ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSeveral factors threaten populations of albatrosses and giant petrels, including the impact of fisheries bycatch and, at some colonies, predation from introduced mammals. We undertook population monitoring on Gough Island of three albatross species (Tristan albatross Diomedea dabbenena L., sooty albatross Phoebetria fusca Hilsenberg, Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos Gmelin) and southern giant petrels Macronectes giganteus (Gmelin). Over the study period, numbers of the Critically Endangered Tristan albatross decreased at 3.0% a year. Breeding success for this species was low (23%), and in eight count areas was correlated (r2 = 0.808) with rates of population decline, demonstrating chick predation by house mice Mus musculus L. is driving site-specific trends and an overall decline. Numbers of southern giant petrels were stable, contrasting with large increases in this small population since 1979. Significant population declines were not detected for either the Atlantic yellow-nosed or sooty albatross, however, caution should be applied to these results due to the small proportion of the population monitored (sooty albatross) and significant interannual variation in numbers. These trends confirm the Critically Endangered status of the Tristan albatross but further information, including a more accurate estimate of sooty albatross population size, is required before determining island wide and global population trends of the remaining species.

Delayed capelin (Mallotus villosus) availability influences predatory behaviour of large gulls on black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), causing a reduction in kittiwake breeding success

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 1588-1596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Massaro ◽  
John W Chardine ◽  
Ian L Jones ◽  
Gregory J Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
Larus Argentatus ◽  
Hatching Date ◽  
Mallotus Villosus ◽  
Predatory Behaviour ◽  
Rissa Tridactyla ◽  
Herring Gulls ◽  
Capelin Mallotus Villosus ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

During 1998 and 1999, the impact of predation by herring gulls (Larus argentatus) and great black-backed gulls (Larus marinus) on breeding success of black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) at Gull Island, Witless Bay, southeastern Newfoundland, was quantified in relation to the timing of the annual arrival of capelin (Mallotus villosus) to spawn. The frequency of predation attempts by large gulls on kittiwakes was compared among three periods: before the mean hatching date for herring gulls, between the mean hatching date for herring gulls and the arrival of the capelin, and following capelin arrival. The frequency varied significantly among the three periods, being highest after gull chicks hatched but before the capelin arrived. The frequency of gull predation was significantly correlated with the percentage of kittiwake eggs and chicks that disappeared each week. We estimated that 43 and 30% of kittiwake eggs and chicks at Gull Island were taken by gulls in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Kittiwakes have been indirectly (through increased predation by gulls) affected by the delayed arrival and lower abundance of capelin in recent years, which underlines the need to understand multispecies interactions when interpreting the effects of human alteration of the marine environment.

scholarly journals Drivers of predatory behavior and extreme size in house mice Mus musculus on Gough Island

2016 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Cuthbert ◽  
Ross M. Wanless ◽  
Andrea Angel ◽  
Marie-Helene Burle ◽  
Geoff M. Hilton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Predatory Behavior ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Mouse Population ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Island Syndrome

Abstract In comparison to the mainland, populations of rodents on islands are often characterized by a suite of life history characteristics termed the “island syndrome.” Populations of rodents introduced to islands are also well known for their impacts on native species that have evolved in the absence of mammalian predators. We studied the ecology and behavior of introduced house mice Mus musculus on Gough Island where they are the only terrestrial mammal and where their predatory behavior is having a devastating impact on the island’s burrowing petrel (order Procellariiformes ) population and the Critically Endangered Tristan albatross Diomedea dabbenena . Mice on Gough exhibit extreme features of the island syndrome, including: a body mass 50–60% greater than any other island mouse population, peak densities among the highest recorded for island populations, and low seasonal variation in numbers compared to other studied islands. Seasonal patterns of breeding and survival were linked to body condition and mass, and mice in areas with high chick predation rates were able to maintain higher mass and condition during the winter when mouse mortality rates peak. Within-site patterns of chick predation indicate that proximity to neighboring predated nests and nesting densities are important factors in determining the likelihood of predation. We conclude that selection for extreme body mass and predatory behavior of mice result from enhanced overwinter survival. Small mammal populations at temperate and high latitudes are normally limited by high mortality during the winter, but on Gough Island mice avoid that by exploiting the island’s abundant seabird chicks.

Mouse predation affects breeding success of burrow-nesting petrels at sub-Antarctic Marion Island

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben J. Dilley ◽  
Stefan Schoombie ◽  
Kim Stevens ◽  
Delia Davies ◽  
Vonica Perold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Video Surveillance ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
Felis Catus ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Marion Island ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Surveillance Cameras ◽  
Procellaria Aequinoctialis

AbstractWe report the breeding success of four species of burrow-nesting petrels at sub-Antarctic Marion Island where house miceMus musculusare the sole introduced mammal. Feral catsFelis catuswere present on Marion for four decades from 1949, killing millions of seabirds and greatly reducing petrel populations. Cats were eradicated by 1991, but petrel populations have shown only marginal recoveries. We hypothesize that mice are suppressing their recovery through depredation of petrel eggs and chicks. Breeding success for winter breeders (grey petrelsProcellaria cinerea(34±21%) and great-winged petrelsPterodroma macroptera(52±7%)) were lower than for summer breeders (blue petrelsHalobaena caerulea(61±6%) and white-chinned petrelsProcellaria aequinoctialis(59±6%)) and among winter breeders most chick fatalities were of small chicks up to 14 days old. We assessed the extent of mouse predation by monitoring the inside of 55 burrow chambers with video surveillance cameras (4024 film days from 2012–16) and recorded fatal attacks on grey (3/18 nests filmed, 17%) and great-winged petrel chicks (1/19, 5%). Our results show that burrow-nesting petrels are at risk from mouse predation, providing further motivation for the eradication of mice from Marion Island.

scholarly journals Potential for primary poisoning of a critically endangered endemic land bird during rodent eradication operations at Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander L Bond ◽  
Michelle M Risi ◽  
Christopher W Jones ◽  
Peter G Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
South Atlantic Ocean ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Tristan Da Cunha ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Island Ecosystem ◽  
Rodent Eradication ◽  
Land Bird

Eradicating introduced rodents from islands restores these communities, but operations must mitigate bait uptake by non-target species to ensure adequate bait coverage, and minimize mortality of non-target species. Ingestion of toxic bait is a recognised risk for scavenging birds, but is also a concern for generalist feeders. Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic Ocean, has introduced house mice (Mus musculus) that negatively affect the island ecosystem. It is also home to the endemic globally threatened Gough bunting (Rowettia goughensis), a generalist that may be affected by primary poisoning. We presented 26 wild individuals with non-toxic bait pellets and observed their reactions for up to 30 min, or until they flew away. While 23% of Gough buntings did not react to bait pellets, 77% showed some level of interest. Generalist feeders, such as Gough bunting, may also be at risk of primary poisoning during rodent eradication operations.

Palatability and efficacy of rodent baits for eradicating house mice (Mus musculus) from Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 196 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Cuthbert ◽  
P. Visser ◽  
H. Louw ◽  
P. G. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Mus Musculus ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Toxic Dose ◽  
Time To Death ◽  
Food Standard ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Control Food ◽  
Subsequent Exposure ◽  
Declining Populations ◽  
Initial Drop

Context Introduced house mice (Mus musculus) are a serious predator of seabird chicks at Gough Island, resulting in declining populations of several threatened species. This has prompted the preparation of plans to eradicate mice from Gough and other islands. However, relatively little is known about the palatability and efficacy of rodent baits for house mice, as most studies have focussed on rats (Rattus spp.). Aims The study’s aim was to test the palatability of non-toxic forms of two commercially available rodent pellet bait formulations (Pestoff® 20R and Final®) and a new pellet bait formulated specifically for mouse control (Pestoff® 20M) to house mice on Gough Island. We also tested the efficacy of toxic Pestoff 20R and Final pellets containing 20 and 25 ppm of the anticoagulant toxin brodifacoum. Methods Five trials with 50 mice housed in individual cages and kept at ambient temperature and light cycles, were undertaken during the year. Palatability of bait pellets was measured over five days and compared with a non-toxic control food (standard ‘rodent pellets’ sourced from a pet food supplier). Toxic bait trials were run for 25 days with bait administered at 1, 2 and 10 g for a 24-h period and at 20 g per day for 72 h. Key results All three baits were highly palatable; however, mice showed the greatest preference for Pestoff 20M and 20R, consuming a larger mass of bait. Estimated oral LD50 values of brodifacoum for Gough mice were 0.44 mg kg–1 and the average time to death following exposure was 5.5 days (range 0–16 days). Two mice (~1% of those tested) survived after apparently ingesting doses of brodifacoum estimated to be 5 and 10 times the oral LD50 values, potentially indicating a lower susceptibility to brodifacoum in some individuals, although subsequent exposure at higher doses resulted in mortality. Conclusions The results of this study confirmed that house mice on Gough Island find bait pellets highly palatable and that brodifacoum is an effective toxin with LD50 values and time to death within the same range (0.4 to 0.52 mg kg–1 and 5.2 days) as other studies, indicating no major difference in the susceptibility of Gough mice to this poison. Implications We recommend that bait manufacturers produce formulations designed to be attractive to mice and consider the use of higher concentrations of brodifacoum to increase the likelihood of all mice obtaining a toxic dose when small quantities of bait are consumed, although higher toxin concentrations must be balanced against the increased risks to non-target species. Eradication operations targeting mice should undertake more than one bait drop to ensure any individuals surviving the initial drop have access to sufficient toxic bait to cause mortality upon second or subsequent exposure.

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